Film Studies 235 - COLQ: LISTENING TO CINEMA

Fall
2015
01
4.00
Andrew Ritchey
MW 01:10-02:30; W 07:30-09:30
Smith College
20985-F15
SEELYE 201; SEELYE 312
aritchey@smith.edu
This course explores various aspects of film sound from both a theoretical and a historical perspective. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical listening skills through regular exercises in close listening and audio-visual analysis. Topics addressed include the history of sound technology; the aesthetics and politics of sound design; the voice in cinema; and film music. While the historical scope of the course ranges from the "silent" era to the present, two salient turning points are the subject of focused attention: the introduction of synchronous sound film in the 1920s and the development of digital surround sound in the 1990s. Enrollment limit of 25. (E)
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.